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Are They Out of Their Minds in Alaska?

March 08, 2006 | Wolves / Alaska Boycott

You've probably heard about it: They hunt wolves from the air in Alaska. Friends of Animals sued on behalf of the wolves, and in the interest of bringing sanity to Alaska. And the Superior Court said the state's aerial wolf-shooting scheme was breaking the law. But within days, the Board of Game concocted new rules. Hunters are back up in the air -- and out of their minds.

That's why, beginning in the 13 March edition of USA Today, the world will see advertisements reading "If you shoot wolves to save moose, and then you shoot the moose, you're either out of your mind or in Alaska."

Advertisements will also run in other high-profile publications, including The Nation (3 April), The Progressive (May), and Harper's (May).

Boycott Alaska ad, appearing in USA Today on Monday, March 13, 2006

"Aerial wolf-shooting has long been a thrill-seeking opportunity," said Priscilla Feral, Friends of Animals president. "But Board of Game members insist that there's a reason for what they enable."

And here it is: Wolves must be gunned down to stop them from killing moose. That way, later on, other hunters can kill the moose. And this is why they're aiming for 400 more wolves this spring.

You can help. Stay in your right mind, and pledge to avoid travel to Alaska.

A gallery of wolf supporters have converged at www.boycott-alaska.com. So far, a hundred people have posted their photos, and more are coming each day to declare: "We'd rather be here than in Alaska." Pictures are arriving from individuals and groups near iconic landmarks and destinations, lines at local banks and post offices, and packed subway cars.

Comments

Submitted by Lisa Hasbrouck on Sat, 2006-03-18 17:27

Nature had a perfect balance before man decided to interfere. The wolf has always been the natural predator of the moose. Be not fooled, the hunters and game commissions in this country decide which animal will flourish and which will disappear. It is all very contrived for the revenue hunting brings to each state - from bullets, to electric warming socks and licenses there is money to be made on the backs of these animals. Think, what is wrong with this picture - man is culling the herd of moose, supposedly because there are too many moose, and yet at the same time killing the natural predator of the moose, which would help keep the balance? Let's be honest, this is a blood sport that the wolf is interfering with and thus now has joined the moose in becoming a prime target. People, it is all about money, dominence, and blood lust for the cowards of this world.

Why do people feel compelled to kill innocent animals....di you know that 'humans' are the only thing on the plante that kill for no reason....except for 'sport' or for deliberate torture or for profit...animal's only kill for food or for aggression aganist them. They do not deliberately PLAN out high powered machinery attacks. So, if the hunters must hunt... then they should have to do it without guns or knives or bows or any 'inventions' or ANY machinery ...they should have to do it TOTALLY naturally like animals.
God created beautiful animals... why not save them...not kill them for 'useless sport'.

I never thought I would be on the same side of an argument as Friends of Animals......but I am! I am a trapper and hunter and have spent time in Alaska and other areas that wolves live. In fact, I have researched wolves for over 5 years. While I usually tend to side with L. David Mech, I think I side with Gordon Haber on this one. There is no reason to run wolves down with planes or snow machines until they collapse, and then shoot them dead. No self respecting hunter should even want to do this. I harvest animals, but I also respect them. This is not respect. It has been documented in the scientific literature (sorry Gordon), that when moose are at low densities, wolves can seriously impact their numbers. And I am all for taking wolves in these situations, or in any place where a healthy wolf population exists (I hear all the shudders), yet they should be taken by fair trapping or hunting (calling), not aerial gunning. If you are too lazy to snowshoe into the backcountry and fairly and properly harvest wolves, then you do not deserve to take a wolf. They are majestic and extremely keen animals that I view with much respect. Joe from NYC has no place shooting a wolf from a plane. If you want to take a wolf, do it the right way.......on his turf........which nobody from NYC ever could!
P.S. Blog Editor, no need to comment, I know you disagree with any form of trapping and hunting, but that way of thinking is just as looney as aerial hunting. Just be happy that you and I agree on the fact that aerial hunting is wrong!

As an Alaska resident, I am ashamed, outraged and sickened at this state's policies of wolf killing. It deeply saddens me that our culture has fallen asleep and grown silent and complacent to such vital issues. Living with respect to the balance and harmony of nature has been replaced with the overbearing macho culture of take, kill and dominate. Those wolves are not being killed for any other reason than human greed and the need to conquer, destroy and trophy hunt.
I moved to this state 15 years ago because I fell deeply in love with the mountains, ocean, wilderness and animals of this place. It is 'The last frontier' or at least it used to be. It breaks my heart that we are destroying it. We keep taking and not giving anything back; Can't we see there is a limit?! Killing a wolf from a plane or snowmachine is far from respectful, in fact it is utterly inhumane.
Thank you for your advocacy for our four-legged friends, 'Friends of Animals'; You have my full support.

are there too many people in the world that cause too much deaths, and extinctions? and are we supposed to kill some of us to reduce the stress of the eco-system? birth is always better than death. why kill the wolves? why not help the moose to build a larger population? isn't it better???
choose life, and give a chance for life. the wolves don't mean to kill moose, as they have to live.

To Jane
killing off a few wolves is helping the moose, as they are largely underpopulated and the wolves are well overpopulated. Normally Nature would take its normal course but if a ver hard winter were to come it would be terrible for the moose population as they would probably go on the endangered species list. As a fulltime alaska resident i would know that the wolf program is working

My one wish was to travel to Alaska. I finaly made it 4 years ago and was not disapponted. It was wonderful and I planned then on returning. My trip to Denali will always be with me and the guide inspired us all with his insistance that nothing there would be changed by human interference. Each place we visited has its own charm and history--Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka--but they all share the feeling of freedom and wilderness.
I am new to this issue and will, now, not return to Alaska. Hunting and fishing to survive is one thing; hunting to hang a trophy on your wall is another; and slaudering animals under the "control" umbrella is yet another. The idea that killing one animal to insure another lives to be hunted by a human animal (for big $s) is like something you might see on Ripley's Believe it or Not.
People of Alaska: please let your politicians know that this is unacceptable by writing them often and by voting them out of office on election day. Your state draws us because of its wildness and beauty. Please don't let the small number of people and their dollars who come to Alaska solely to hunt drive an issue that may never be corrected once done. You are the champions of your state and everything that lives there. Please stop this aerial hunting!

I do not think the FoA group gets it - it's not about killing wolves and bears - it's about an outside interest group telling those of us in Alaska what we can and cannot do. Worry about your own state and stay out of our's. I have lived in this state for 41 years and will never leave. I do not agree with all of the Govenor's ideas, but did vote for him because of his stance on wolf control. I will vote for anyone who will stand up to outside interest groups and tell them to buzz off. I believe in "killin and drillin". Groups like FoA prey upon the uneducated people of the lower 48 to line their pockets. People need to think for themselves, take some time to find out what life up here is really like before you condem us. You do not have to come up here to educate yourselves, but do not let someone fill your head with the idea that these animals are being killed for the fun of it. For those of you who are in complete support of a boycott - good - you are not wanted up here anyway. Alot of you must think that we Alaskans can hardly wait until tourist season. Yes - a majority of our economy is tourist based - but some of us feel like we are being held hostage. If we Alaskans do not do what the lower 48 wants us to then we get punished. My family owns a tourist oriented business, we have not seen any negitive impacts or lower numbers of tourists because a few wolves have been shot. We will not starve to death or go out of business either if people decide not to visit Alaska. There are places in this state that Alaskans would rather tourists not see. We can be kind of selfish that way. Anyway folks just remember - think for and educate youselves.
JBrooks
Lifetime Alaskan